Serpents and Ice
by The Unraveled Writer
Summary: The tale of two brothers and the one letter that tore them apart. When Harry discovers he's not a wizard he runs away to find his destiny. But fate has it's own plans for him as Harry is forced to face both magic and the brother who left him behind.
1. 1983: A prologue

**Prologue**

**Disclaimer: All the characters belong to J.K. Rowling with the exception of Puff the Magic Dragon; I'm not sure who owns him. **

**A/n**_**:**__ Here's the prologue to Serpents and Ice. It's almost a story of its own but there are parts of it that are __very __important to the plot so make sure to read it. :) Oh, and I'm warning readers beforehand- this is going to be a looooooooong story. I spent hours trying to think of ways to shorten it but I'm afraid there's simply no way I can. However, the good news is that a long story means lots of character development, an intricate/ well developed plot, and plenty of sub plots too! Yay! Haha but seriously, if you like your stories short and sweet you might want to go and hit the little 'back' button at the top of your screen right about now. I know this may sound like your typical "Harry is an angsty brother of the boy who lived' but __**believe me**__ when I say that 'Serpents and Ice' is like nothing you've ever read before._

_Also, a lot of chapters are in the process of being rewritten with new lots of new content being added. So anyone who was reading this before will probably want to go back and read the first several chapters. (that is, once I post them- which shouldn't take to long). Well I guess I've ranted long enough for one chapter._

_Until next time,_

_U.W._

* * *

Voldemort stared pensively at the house before him. Unknown to the occupants within, it was only a matter of minutes until their lives would be consumed in destruction. They wouldn't see it coming. No one ever did. By the time they realized they were under attack it would be too late. He would have killed half the family before they could even raise their wands. In a way, he almost pitied them. _Almost_. But he didn't. They were the enemy, a symbol of resistance in this time of war. They had to be dealt with swiftly and soundly lest people begin to question his authority.

Taking a deep breath, Voldemort steeled his mind for what was to come. He would show no mercy.

* * *

"It's getting colder…" Lily grumbled to her husband. "Do you think I should cast another heating charm? I don't want the boys to get sick."

"Don't you think that's a little over kill? You've already cast seven in the past hour." Lily's husband, James, teased her. "I think Lance and Harry will be just fine."

"But it's so cold…" Lily protested weakly as she turned to stare out the window. Their front lawn was a mountain of ice and snow. In the past, Lily would have taken her oldest son out to make snowmen. But the world wasn't how it used to be. Voldemort plagued every corner of England. His forces stalked the city streets, and patrolled the neighborhoods, waiting, always waiting._ They_ were constantly searching, trying to sniff out the rebels. Lily shivered. Just two days ago _they_ had found Arthur Weasley… He'd been on his way to the Burrow from an Order meeting. He never made it back. Someone had tampered with his portkey; its destination had been changed. Everyone feared the worst. Poor Molly Weasley, now a single mother with seven kids. All the Order members tried to help out as best as they could, but Lily knew it would never be enough. The world had changed drastically in the past few years, and not for the better. Violence spread like a virus across Europe. Corruption had choked all justice from the Ministry of Magic. It was every wizard for themself; no one could be trusted.

It had been almost four years since Lily had been outside. She looked out the window with such overwhelming longing that it took all her resolve not to fling open their front door and run out. 'Think of your family. Think of your family. Think of your family.' She chanted over and over again until she'd suppressed her feelings. Lily knew she could never risk her life, not when she had two sons and a husband who needed her. To be honest, she needed them even more than they needed her. Her family was the only thing keeping her sane; the reason she hadn't given up hope.

A small smile passed across Lily's face for a moment; it was hard to be grim while thinking of her two boys.

Harry and Lance

Lance and Harry

Both were wonderful in their own way. Harry, being the older sibling, had taken to teaching his baby brother everything he knew. From playing games to drawing pictures, Harry was determined to show Lance how it was done. It didn't matter that Lance was only a year old and too young to do much of anything. Harry was nothing if not patient and persistent. Lily was proud of her son. At age three he was already showing great leadership and compassion. She could only imagine the illustrious man he would become when he got older.

But that doesn't mean she didn't love her other son as well. Lance, her sweet baby boy, was already walking around the house getting into all sorts of trouble. Just the other day, she had caught him with James's spare wand. _Where_ on earth he had found it, she had no idea, but Lily knew she was lucky he hadn't gotten the chance to cause any real damage with it. Children's magic was the most dangerous kind of all. It could be unpredictable, wild, and with the use of a wand, potentially fatal. It was no wonder that Lily had been furious when she'd found Lance holding one and waving it around. At the time she'd been prepared to give Lance he scolding of a lifetime. That is, until he looked up at her with his big blue eyes…

Lily sighed. She was a sucker for those eyes and she knew it. The look Lance gave her made it impossible to stay mad at him for too long.

A shiver crept over Lily as a particularly strong draft from the window hit her. Her mind turned once more towards the barren world outside. The snow had managed to transform their front yard into an empty wasteland. Its blinding reflection was the only thing she could see for miles. The winter always made her feel even more alone than usual. The Potter's had no neighbors nearby. It was just her family out here, no one else. The snow only amplified the desolate ambience of their home.

"Maybe it _is_ getting a little cold."

Lily gave a small jump as the whisper tore her from her thoughts.

"Merlin, don't sneak up on me like that," Lily said once she realized it was only her husband. "You startled me."

"Sorry," James apologized before giving her one of his signature smiles. "How about I make up for it with some hot chocolate? It'll help get rid of the chill."

"That sounds nice," Lily admitted. "Don't forget to make some for Harry and Lance too."

"Yes, ma'm," Was James's cheeky response before heading off to the kitchen.

Thanks to magic, it only took James a few minutes and a couple of spells to make it.

"EVERYONE! COME GET SOME HOT CHOCOLATE!" His voice rang through the house and delighted screams quickly followed as Harry and Lance ran into the kitchen.

After retrieving his treat, Harry toddled up to where Lily was sitting by the window. "Momma! Look! I got- I got- hot chawlet!" Harry beamed while he showed her his new found treasure. "It's so yummy."

"How yummy?" Lily smiled while talking to her son. Sometimes he was just so _adorable_.

"This yummy!" Harry cried before stretching out his arms as far as they could go.

"Wow, that's pretty yummy."

"Yeah, daddy made it with his magic." Harry told her seriously. "When I grow up I gonna do magic too. I make hot chawlet for evewryone!"

"LILY, COME GET YOURS BEFORE IT GETS COLD!" James bellowed from within the kitchen and Lily sighed. Sometimes, he could be the most impatient man alive.

"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE" She yelled back before turning to Harry. "Sounds like daddy's a little cranky, doesn't it?"

Harry burst out in a fit of giggles.

"Maybe he should go take a nap?" Lily joked before getting up to go to the kitchen.

"Silly mommy," Harry laughed. "Daddy can't take a nap. He has to go play with his fwiend!"

"What are you talking about Harry?" Lily asked curiously.

"Daddy's fwiend." Harry repeated "He's outside waiting for Daddy to come and play."

"What…?" Lily frowned, their house was heavily warded; no one should be able to get anywhere near their property…

Lily's heart was racing as she walked back to the window. Hesitantly, she peered outside and looked for any unwelcome intruders. There was no one there. She let out a sigh of relief and turned back to her son. "Harry, you shouldn't make things like that up."

"But, it's true! Daddy's fwiend is wright there by the big twee."

"Harry there's no one by the-" But Lily froze mid sentence.

She could feel it now: something in their yard was terribly wrong. She decided to look a little more closely at the big oak tree Harry had mentioned. At first glance, she couldn't find anything out of place, but then… there! …with a thorough search of the area she finally found what Harry had been talking about. A small space to the right of their tree was slightly discolored. It was barely visible to the naked eye, but definitely there. How had Harry even _noticed_ that? Normally it took an expert Auror to notice a disillusionment charm that strong. But Harry's uncanny ability could be dealt with later. Someone had gotten past their wards and she had a feeling it wasn't Puff the Magic Dragon coming over for afternoon tea.

Slowly, Lily backed away from the window and walked to the kitchen trying to act as calm as possible, any sudden movements could alert the intruder and make them attack sooner.

"James," Lily called out as she grabbed a piece of paper from the kitchen table and began writing vigorously.

"Lily! There you are! You let your hot chocolate get cold." James complained.

"Thanks anyways, honey," Lily pulled James into a hug.

"Uhhm, no problem?" James replied a little uncertainly "It was only hot chocolate."

"But still…" Lily trailed off and then broke into a whisper. "James, it's vital that you act completely normal for the next few minutes. Whatever happens, _don't_ do anything brash."

Lily released James from her grip and immediately handed a small paper to him. "I've made a grocery list of things we'll need for Christmas dinner. Do you think Sirius could go shopping for us tomorrow?"

"Sure, no problem," James answered slowly while reading the 'grocery list'.

~Intruder in the front yard. Wards down. What should we do?

"This last thing on the list," James muttered, " it might be a little tricky. Maybe you should _take the boys and go _shopping for it."

"You know I can't leave you here all alone." Lily whispered softly, her voice barely audible.

"I'll be okay," James's voice was stern while he spoke; his face contorted into a grimace that looked out of place on his usually cheerful features. "Harry and Lance need you to keep them safe. I'll meet back up with you as soon as I can."

Lily considered arguing with James. She really did. But she knew he was right. Harry and Lance _had _to be protected. James had a fighting chance, but her boys were helpless without her. Hesitantly, she nodded in agreement before looking up at her husband.

"I love you." Lily told him, no longer bothering to keep her voice down.

"I love you too." James replied before pulling Lily into one last embrace. He kissed her lightly and ran his hand through her hair. This could be their last time together. Lily unsuccessfully tried to push the thought away. He was too young to die. She couldn't handle losing him, not when she'd had him for so little time. They had so much they were going to do. So many dreams they were going to live out. He was only 23! He should have a long life ahead of him. Lily prayed he still did.

"Try and make it back in one piece." She attempted a joke but the words fell flat the moment they left her mouth. She wasn't fooling anyone. Whatever it was that was about to happen was no laughing matter.

"You need to leave now Lily," James ushered her away from the kitchen. "Find Lance and Harry and get away from here. I'll hold them off."

Some might have cried then. The magnitude of what was going on would hit like a tidal wave of fear and anxiety. It could have reduced anyone to nothing. But not Lily, she didn't feel anything. She turned to find her children with only a constant numbness coursing through her body. Perhaps she was in shock. Perhaps her instincts took over. No one would ever know what had kept Lily Potter sane at a time like this.

"Harry, Lance?" She called while looking for her children. It was only a moment before she found them sitting on the floor in Harry's room. "There you are."

"Momma!" Harry beamed at Lily when she entered his bedroom. "Look! I'm showing Lance quidditch!"

"Harry, you'll have to finish showing him later. Right now you and Lance are gonna go on a little trip with me."

"A trip?" Harry squealed before Lily had a chance to keep him quiet.

"Shhhhh, you need to be quiet right now, okay? Yes, we're going on a trip but we have to be leave very quickly. I need you to do exactly what I tell you, Harry, it's important. Follow me" Lily picked up Lance while she spoke and rested him on her hip. She took one last look around Harry's bedroom before heading towards the floo in their family room. She'd spent ages decorating it for him, trying to get every detail just right. It saddened her to leave it all behind, but sacrifices had to be made. She didn't give it a second glance as she walked to the floo.

"Harry, I need you to grab my hand and whatever you do- don't let go. It might be a rough ride but don't get worried, honey. _Everything's going to be alright._"

That last sentence might have been more for the sake of her own sanity rather than Harry's but it seemed to do the trick just fine. With Harry's hand firmly grasped in hers, Lily took a handful of floo powder and threw it down.

"THE BURROW!" She yelled out before quickly closing her eyes. Floo travel always made her queasy.

But when no dizziness followed, Lily frowned and opened her eyes.

They were still in Godric's Hollow.

"Must be a mistake…" She muttered before grabbing a new handful and throwing it down for a second time. "THE BURROW!"

"Momma why are you yelling?" Harry asked timidly. "Are you angwy? …Momma?"

But Lily didn't respond. Instead she picked up more floo powder and tried once again to leave their home.

"THE BURROW!"

…

"THE BURROW!"

…

"THE BURROW!"

…

"T-the burrow…" Lily's hands were shaking so badly that she dropped the powder before she even finished talking.

The floo was down. Anti-apparation wards were up.

She was trapped.

"James?" She cried out desperately, running through the house trying to find him. "James where are you?"

"Why aren't you gone yet?" James hissed when he saw she was still in the house. "I thought we'd had an agreement: you have to protect the kids."

"I tried," Lily said desperately. "James, the floo's down, the anti-apparition wards from the fidelious charm are still up. I…" Her voice broke for a moment while she tried to compose herself, "I don't know what to do. We're trapped."

James stiffened as she spoke, a new resolve reflecting in his eyes. "You've tried everything?" He asked her.

"There's nothing else I can think of. We don't have any portkeys."

"Take the boys to the basement" James told her after a moment's consideration, "cast all the protection and disillusionment charms you can on the entrance. I'll try to hold them off."

"Be safe, James. _Please_, whatever you do, stay safe." She looked him straight in the eyes, her tone making her plea more of a demand, as if she could make it come true simply by putting enough force behind it.

"I'll do my best, Lily." James promised her before ushering her out of the kitchen. "Where are Harry and Lance?"

"Next to the fireplace."

"I want to talk to them." James said hesitantly. "Just… just in case."

"_Everything's going to be alright._" Lily answered firmly, but let James follow her into the family room nonetheless.

"Daddy!" Harry's face lit up when James entered the room. "Your fwiend's waiting for you!"

"Hey Harry," James ruffled his son's hair before crouching down to make eye contact with him. "I…" James paused. What was he supposed to say? 'I might die in a couple minutes, but don't worry about it?' He was at a loss for words and time was running short. Slowly, after a few minutes, he started to speak once again. "I just wanted to say I love you. I love you both." He added the last part before looking at Lance who was sitting beside his brother. "and no matter what happens: I will always be watching over you. You two are going to change the world, I just know it. You've already changed mine." James stood up and turned to face Lily. "You really should get in the basement now."

Lily nodded numbly before picking up Lance and leading Harry down the stairs.

"Why are we going in the basement?" Harry asked her. "I don't like the basement. It's cold, and dark."

Instead of answering, Lily responded to Harry's questions with one of her own. "How about we play a game?"

"I love games!" Harry exclaimed.

"Games! Games!" Lance echoed his brother with the same amount enthusiasm.

"Good," Lily told them while locking the basement door behind her, "because it's very important that we win this game."

She waved her wand over the entrance to the basement, casting all of the protective spells she could think of. Once she had done the best she could, she led her two boys away from the door and continued talking.

"This is called the hiding game. Do you remember daddy's friend, the one waiting outside?" Lily asked while glancing around their basement. There wasn't much down here- mostly storage, really.

"Is he going to play the hiding game too?" Harry asked.

"Sort of," Lily mumbled while moving various boxes around and creating a space behind them where she and her kids could hide. "You see, daddy's friend is going to try and find us. That's why we have to be extra quiet- to make sure he doesn't."

"What if he does?" Harry questioned while crawling next to his mom in their new hiding spot.

"Then we lose the game." She answered softly before casting a silencing charm over them all, just in case. "Now the game's about to start so I need you to not make any noise, do you understand me?"

"I'll be quiet." He promised solemnly before snuggling next to Lily.

For a few minutes Lily couldn't hear anything upstairs. The whole house was eerily silent. She couldn't even hear James wandering around anymore. The whole Potter family seemed to be waiting in anticipation. But after awhile, Harry began to get restless and even Lily herself started wondering if the 'intruder' had been a mere trick of the eye. Perhaps there was nothing to fear after all. She found herself beginning to relax. Every peaceful minute that passed seemed like another reassurance. Everything was going to be alright.

Or maybe not.

Without out warning, a huge explosion shook the entire house. The force of the blast hit Lily like a bag of bricks and she immediately found herself falling against her will. It only took a moment for her head to collide with the concrete walls of the basement. The sickening crack that followed reached her ears a second later. Lily instantly knew she was in trouble. Her thoughts became muddled and her vision blurred. The room around her appeared to be spiraling out of control. She let out a small moan as she felt a warm stream flow down the side of her head-she was bleeding, and rather profusely if the blood dripping on her clothes was anything to go by. She knew she needed to stop to blood loss and fast. She was already beginning to feel light headed as it was. Lily quickly tore the sleeve off her shirt and wrapped it around her head as a sort of bandage. As her she did, her thoughts finally began to sort themselves out. Now that she was able to think (somewhat) clearly, she wracked her brain for any first aid spells she might have learned during her life. There was only one she could think of. It was a charm used to heal minor cuts. It probably wouldn't fix her injury but it would at least help. She quickly cast the charm on herself and gave a sigh of relief. She could feel the blood flow beginning to slow down. She still had a pounding headache and couldn't seem to shake off a feeling of dizziness, but it was better than before.

"Mommy!" Lance wailed and Lily snapped out of her thoughts. She'd completely forgotten about the kids.

"Lance, baby, are you alright? Did you get hurt too?" She asked anxiously.

"He's okay," Harry answered from her right. "He didn't hit the wall like you did. Are you okay momma?"

"I'll be fine," Lily said, relieved that Lance hadn't been injured. "Did you get hurt Harry?"

"No I'm okay. But momma? I don't want to play this game anymore."

"I'm sorry Harry," Lily whispered while pulling him close, "but we don't have a choice. I'm going to need you to keep quiet."

Harry nodded but when Lily looked in his eyes she knew he was terrified. She grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Everything's going to be all right, Harry. Everything's going to be alright."

Once Harry was sufficiently calmed down, Lily turned her attention to upstairs. The house was not nearly as quiet as it had been earlier. Instead, it was filled with the constant echoing of bangs and crashes. She listened closely for her husband's voice. She _needed_ to know he was okay.

"You should have run while you had the chance." A voice that was cold as ice cut through the chaos. The curses and hexes seemed to have temporarily stopped.

Lily frowned when she heard their intruder's voice. There was something about it that seemed familiar, something about the condescending tone he used. She felt a nagging sense of déjà vu in the back of her mind. She had heard this voice before. But _where_? For the life of her, she couldn't remember.

"And _you_ should have never come here." James's words were not nearly as composed and calm as his adversary's had been. His reply came between short ragged breaths and gasps for air.

Lily's heart beat faster when she heard James. He was still alive, but for how much longer? The broken reply he'd just given indicated that he wasn't faring well against his opponent. She silently prayed that he would make it through the duel safely.

"I suppose it doesn't matter much now." The intruder answered. It may have been Lily's imagination but he sounded almost bored. "The time for running and hiding has passed. It all ends tonight. Crucio!"

The sound of James's voice reverberated through the house in the form of a blood-curdling scream. It sent chills down Lily's spine and made her feel sick to her stomach. That was her husband up there. That was _James._ She tried to cover her ears to block out the heart-wrenching cries coming from above. This couldn't be happening. It was too terrible to actually be true. How could something this horrible be real? Her family was supposed to be drinking hot chocolate right now, not fearing for their lives. When had things gone so wrong?

Lily looked down. Harry and Lance had both started whimpering at some point during the past few minutes. In an attempt to calm them, she placed her arms around them both and brought them close to her.

"Shhhh…" Lily whispered soothingly. "Everything's going to be alright."

Lance sniffled and Harry looked up at her doubtfully. Neither seemed to believe her. _She_ didn't even believe herself. It was hard to be optimistic at a time like this. Lily opened her mouth to say something more to comfort her children, but the words froze on the tip of her tongue. James's screams had just been cut off. Was their attacker finally relenting? She had a feeling that wasn't the case.

"Get up, Potter." The intruder spat out. "I want to look you in the eyes when I kill you. I want to see the life drain out of them while your body crumples to the ground. You are going to die. Does the idea scare you?"

Lily waited with bated breath for James's response but it never came. Either he was too stubborn or in too much pain to respond. She hoped it was the former.

"You know, there is another way out." The attacker whispered so quietly that Lily almost couldn't hear it. "a way for you to save yourself _and_ your family. It's nothing too difficult. Who knows? You might even find you enjoy it. All you have to do, Potter, is join me. Take the mark. Serve the dark. That's all I ask. If you do I'll let your whole family live in peace."

"Go to hell Voldemort." James wheezed before surrendering to a fit of coughing.

Lily gasped as soon as the words left his mouth. She had known that their intruder was a dark wizard, but You-Know-Who himself? The very idea of the Dark Lord attacking her family left her in a state of shock. Things could not get much worse than this.

The wizard in question let out a laugh that seemed anything but humorous. "Awfully brave aren't you? But it doesn't matter. Courage won't help you now. I've won. Darkness will rule this house and your family forever."

"You will never win." James started to shout but his voice cracked from all the screaming he'd done earlier. He was forced to continue his speech in a whisper, but it was fueled by even more fury than his shout had been. "You will never succeed, not while the light still has the ultimate weapon, something that you have no chance of obtaining for yourself. It's the will to fight against the odds, the strength to do the impossible, the ambition to shoot for the stars, a refusal to give up. It's the power that will keep the light alive. Hope, Voldemort, will defeat you."

"Enough!" The Dark Lord yelled, his words filled with rage. "I tire of your rambling. _Avada Kedavra!_"

Lily was lucky she had put a silencing charm up earlier that day because Voldemort was sure to have heard her scream without it and when she heard the dull thud that immediately followed, another cry of grief and horror escaped her mouth. There was no doubt left in her mind: James was dead.

James was dead.

James was dead.

James was dead.

She couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the idea. It didn't seem possible. This was her husband, the love of her life. He couldn't be gone. He was supposed to stay with her. They were supposed to grow old together.

"Damn it James! You can't die! Y-you can't…" Lily felt a major breakdown coming on, but she resisted it. She had to stay strong- for Harry and Lance's sake if nothing else.

"What's wrong with Daddy?" Harry whispered, tears threatening to spill over his cheeks. He was scared. The fear was written across his face like an open book.

Lily calmed herself before reaching out to hold his hand in hers and giving him a reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be alright, Harry." She lied. "Everything's going to be alright."

But even as she spoke Voldemort blasted open the basement door with a deafening smash. Lily hardly dared to breathe as she heard the steps creak. He was coming to get her. The Dark Lord was coming to kill off the rest of her family. Pure panic consumed Lily's mind and she found herself paralyzed with fear. She couldn't think straight. Her thoughts ran in frantic circles, desperately searching for an escape but never finding one. There was no where left to hide, no where left for her to run. This was it. There was no way to avoid a confrontation if Voldemort found them. Lily felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach lurched and her breathing was coming in short gasps. A full-blown panic attach seemed to be on its way.

'Calm down, Lily.' She thought to herself in an attempt to clear her mind. 'You can't freeze up, not now, not when Harry and Lance are still in danger. You've got to stay strong. Everything's going to be-'

"I know you're down here." Voldemort called out, his voice calm and collected. "I can feel your magic, the air's thick with it."

"Momma, what's happen-" Harry began but Lily covered his mouth.

"Shhh. You've got to be _silent_." She commanded while speaking in a whisper herself. Yes, there were silencing charms on her family but who knew if they would hold against the Dark Lord himself?

"How about I give you a choice?" Voldemort asked from the foot of the stairs. "Come out now and I promise your death will be quick and painless. Or you can wait for me to find you… but that might lead to a more _complicated_ end for you and your family. It's your decision." He paused for a moment and searched the basement expectantly. "Very well, then. I'll come and get you myself."

Voldemort slowly walked the perimeter of the room, wand extended, his expression full of concentration. After searching one side of the room and finding nothing he stopped. Lily frowned. What was he doing? He couldn't have given up so quickly, could he?

"How about I make things a little more interesting, hm?" Voldemort drawled while his face donned a predatory grin. "Incendio!"

Several boxes were immediately set ablaze in a fiery explosion and Voldemort let out a cruel laugh. "I'll _make_ you come out of hiding!" His wand quickly shot off more curses and within seconds Lily's hiding spot was surrounded by flames.

Her eyes burned as the fire crept closer. She could hardly see You-Know-Who anymore; the inferno dominated her vision. Everything was burning and in a way, Lily felt she was burning too. James was gone, her house was going to be destroyed, and her whole life was falling apart right before her eyes. For once in her life, Lily felt utterly helpless. She could only watch as everything she loved turned to ash. There was no way for her to stop the pain, no way for her to fix what was broken, and it was killing her inside.

"Momma…" Harry choked out in between coughs. "I can't breathe."

Lily immediately refocused her thoughts on the situation before her. The smoke was too thick now for them to remain hidden. They'd suffocate if they tried. They had to get away from this fire and fast. But Lily was beginning to wonder if it was worth it. After all, they would only be leaving one danger for another, more unpredictable, one.

"Momma," Harry wheezed once again while making Lily's mind up for her. She couldn't let her sons die. Not like this.

"Aguamenti!" Lily's spell broke through the silencing charm she'd set up earlier and began dousing nearby flames.

"That's better," Voldemort commented once she had revealed herself. "Now we can have some _real_ fun."

"Leave my family alone," Lily spat out.

"Touchy, touchy." Voldemort scolded. "You really should be more polite towards your guests."

"Go to hell."

"I see you're as fiery as my servant, Severus, claims." Voldemort replied, a small smirk playing across his features.

"Severus? He's- he's a death eater?" Lily asked numbly. It couldn't be true. "Impossible. I know him; he'd never betray us like that."

"Well this is… unexpected." Voldemort mused. "You mean to tell me that Dumbledore never told how I discovered the prophecy? Well I suppose it's up to me to _enlighten _you. On the night that the prophecy was foretold, the Order members were not the only ones present. Young Severus Snape was also listening from outside. As soon as the seer was finished he came to tell me what he had heard. He's been a very loyal servant. He will be rewarded when the Dark triumphs."

"I don't believe you." Lily said quietly. "Severus is a good man."

At this Voldemort's cold laughter rang through the basement once again. "A good man, indeed! Good enough to request I kill your husband in the slowest most painful way imaginable. Good enough to allow me to kill your children as long as you were left alive. You Potters are so trusting of others. You _refuse_ to accept the evil of humanity. You are blinded by your faith and now, it will be the death of you."

"MOMMMMMY!" Lance wailed suddenly before breaking down into sobs.

Lily cursed under her breath, she had been hoping the boys would manage to stay hidden during all this. She turned around to face her son and immediately saw what the problem was- a small burn on Lance's arm from the fire.

"Shhhh, Lance. Everything's going to be alright baby. Episkey." Lily's healing spell immediately calmed him down and Lance's cries reduced dramatically.

"Ah," Voldemort murmured, drawing Lily's attention once again. "I had almost forgotten about your boys. Lance and… Harry, is it?"

"Stay away from them." Lily growled before stepping in front of her sons protectively.

"You know," Voldemort drawled out lazily, "very few have ever defied me and lived to tell the tale. I'm not very lenient concerning such matters. But you… you have stood against me not once… but three times…. It's curious, you know. It reminds me of a certain prophecy I heard once. _Born to those whose parents thrice defied him. For neither can live while the other survives. _You see, there's really no choice in the matter at all. It's killed or be killed. And I can assure you, I will _not_ be destroyed by a mere child. This has gone on for long enough. It's time to end this once and for all. Now step out of the way Potter and you might manage to survive the night. "

" You are not going to hurt any more of my family. Not my sons. Not tonight. Not ever. If you get the hell out of my house right now _you_ might survive the night." The words flew from her mouth with venom that surprised even Lily herself.

Voldemort sighed. "You Potters are all the same: bash and loyal to the point of stupidity. You could save yourself, you know. There's no need for you to die. Why don't you leave? Why die for a war you've already lost?"

"You will _never_ win this war. You may manage to kill me but you will never be able to silence what I stand for. No one, not even you, can destroy the goodness of humanity. So do your worst, Voldemort. You'll end up losing in the end."

"You, insolent, stupid, mud-blood. How **dare** you question my power. I am magic itself. I am the most powerful wizard to walk the earth since Merlin himself. And you think I will lose? You are even more foolish than I had thought. Do you realize who I am? I am _Lord Voldemort_. I am immortal. I am invincible! There will always be shadows in the world and one day- one day soon- the darkness will eclipse the light. You can't run from it. You can't hide. Evil will always be there, seeping into the hearts of everyone you love. How can you believe otherwise? You're husband's already dead; you're children are as good as gone. You have nothing left."

"You're wrong, Voldemort. I have more than you'll ever have. I have memories- memories of happiness, of compassion, of love, of things that you will **never **have. No matter how many people you torture, no matter how many families you destroy, you will never be satisfied. You're condemned to living a life where you will always feel unfulfilled. The reason you will never defeat me is because I have something worth losing. You say I have nothing left, but you never had anything to begin with."

"SILENCE! You know _NOTHING_. You have no right to speak about things you can't begin to understand. I've seen this 'love' you so blindly put your faith behind. I've also seen the evils that come with it. Violence, deception, desperation- they're all there, causing pain; poisoning everything in their path. How can you ignore the shadows that taint your precious light?"

Lily winced before responding, her head was still pounding from her earlier collision with the wall. "Nobody's perfect. God knows I'm not. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we try. Despite the infinite failure of our ancestors, we still strive for goodness. Everyone has their faults, but the important thing is that we refuse to let them consume us."

"Your deluded illusions are beginning to bore me… I think it's about time to finish what I've started here. Don't you agree?"

Lily's only response was tightening her grip on her wand.

"Oh, giving the silent treatment now are we?" Voldemort taunted before raising his own wand up to meet Lily's. "I suppose it's somewhat fitting- it won't be long until I silence you forever. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

But the curse wasn't aimed toward Lily. Much to Lily's horror, the sickly green curse was not charging towards herself, but somewhere much much worse. The curse was headed straight for her youngest son.

"LANCE!" She screamed out before running towards him. Her mind was in pure panic mode. All she could think about was protecting her baby. She had to save him. It didn't matter how. She just couldn't let him die.

Voldemort smirked when he saw her sprint towards her son. It didn't matter if she made it there in time. The whole family was going to die anyways. Why did she even bother trying?

"MOMMA!"

At the sound of the small cry the Dark Lord redirected his gaze back towards the family. The fallen figure of Lily Potter was now sprawled across the floor. So she'd managed to make it in time… How surprising. She must have run quite fast to reach him before it hit. Not that it mattered. The boys still didn't stand a chance. Her sacrifice would be in vain.

"Momma…" Young Harry Potter whispered hoarsely for his mother. "You _killed_ her. You KILLED her. I HATE YOU!"

The boy's accusatory shouts surprised Voldemort. It wasn't everyday that a mere child had the guts to yell at him. The Potter had obviously inherited the family's foolish bravery.

"Silencio." He murmured casually. He wasn't in the mood to hear the child's whining. This night had gone on for much too long. He was looking forward to returning back to Riddle Manor. "Much better… Now, who to kill first?"

The older boy glared at him before stepping in front of his brother.

Well that settled it.

Voldemort swiftly shoved Harry out of the way and pointed his wand towards the youngest Potter.

"I want you to watch." He commanded Harry before casting a quick 'imperio' that ensured his order was obeyed. "I want you to see it happen…"

Voldemort broke off into a series of cold laughter. "Maybe I'll let you live after all. A fate worse than death- no? You'll be haunted by their memories forever. Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll make an example out of you. When they see how broken you are… no one will defy me ever again."

He gave a predatory grin at the horrified look on the boy's face. This would be perfect… "Now, time to say goodbye to your brother. Avada Kedavra!"

The spell struck Lance in the chest with immense force. The shock of the curse threw the small boy backwards and Voldemort smiled. Now he could finally go home.

But first…

"Come here." He demanded and Harry, with the effects of the imperious still on him, obediently obeyed. The Dark Lord smirked. How he loved that curse. It had left the boy powerless. His free-will belonged to Voldemort now.

"Look around you." He ordered Harry who had no choice but to comply.

Blackened scorch marks laced the entire room in shadowy ash. A small fire still flickered on the other side, greedily burning everything in its path. There was a dark red stain on the wall from where his momma had hit her head. And then there were the bodies… Harry gave a shudder. He didn't want to think about those.

"That's right. Take it all in." Voldemort purred. "The destruction. The pain. Do you know what caused all this?"

Harry gave a small nod and a meaningful glare towards his captor.

"I forgot-you can't talk." The Dark Lord chuckled. "Perhaps it would be better that I did all the speaking then. Alright, well I'll tell you what caused this. Your parents decided to try and stand up to me, Harry. No one _ever_ stands up against me. Do you know why? Because when they do, this is what happens. Always remember that. If you ever try to stop me- everyone you love will be killed. _Everyone._"

The shocked look on Harry's face was enough to send a thrill through Voldemort's body. His point had been effectively proven-Harry Potter would be afraid of him for the rest of his life, he was sure of it. He could tell by looking at the child, who currently appeared to be blubbering.

"What are you _doing?_" Voldemort asked when the boy continued to open and close his mouth again and again. He quickly canceled the silencing charm and waited expectantly for a response. "Well…?"

"Lance…" Harry whispered so quietly that Voldemort almost didn't hear it.

"Your brother's dead, Potter." The Dark Lord sneered. Was every member of this family dim-witted?

"Lance…" Harry repeated once again, this time with a hint of excitement behind his voice. He pointed one of his small fingers towards where his brother had fallen.

"What are you going on abou-"But his train of thought was cut short. A sudden searing pain shot down his spinal cord. It was as if liquid fire was coursing through his veins. His nerves were overwhelmed with the new sensation. His whole body screamed in protest. Despite his best efforts, the Dark Lord found himself staggering to the ground and crying out in agony.

"POTTER! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"

"It's Lance… he's-he's alive!" Harry cried out happily.

"Impossible…" Voldemort managed to spit out before he was hit by another wave of burning anguish. He had killed Lance Potter himself. He'd seen the lifeless body hit the ground. The child could _not_ be alive.

But what else could make him feel the torture he was experiencing?

Determined to settle the matter once and for all, Voldemort managed to overcome his pain and turn towards where Lance Potter had been earlier. He _needed _to know the boy was dead. He needed to see the corpse lying there- cold and unmoving.

What he saw instead made his heart sink.

The boy was still there, but he was not the broken corpse Voldemort had been expecting. For some inexplicable reason, Lance Potter was still alive. There was no doubt about it now. The young Potter had managed to survive the killing curse. But how?

"**His mother sacrificed herself for him. While her spirit has moved on, her magic remains. It protected him against your curse.**"

Voldemort's eyes darted around the basement looking for one who had spoken. He was in no shape to fight off an Auror right now. He wasn't sure if he could even stand while this pain continued to plague him.

"Who are you?" He growled out. "Show yourself!"

A small laugh echoed through the room. "**Who are you to order me around? **_**No one**_** has the power to control me. I am the end-the final doom. All life is at my mercy. You are **_**nothing**_** compared to me.**"

"Who are you?" Voldemort asked hesitantly. There was something about this voice that seemed _wrong_… He didn't know what it was, but every time the voice spoke, he found himself getting more and more anxious.

"**Who am I…"** The invisible being mused aloud. **"Overtime I've been given many names- too many for me to remember- but you may call me Thanatos."**

Voldemort's eyes widened in recognition. He'd heard that name before, back when he was researching horocruxes. Thanatos had been mentioned in every book he'd read on the subject. He was believed to be death itself. But this couldn't be_ really_ be him. Thanatos was nothing more than a myth. Wasn't he?

"**Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Riddle. I can assure you that I am very real. And because of you, I've been busier than ever before. With all the chaos you've been causing it's been impossible for me to get even a moments rest. But then again, death is always on the move anyways. "**

"What do you want with me?" The Dark Lord said cautiously. Meeting Thanatos in person could mean nothing but trouble. He needed to be careful; if this man was who he claimed to be, getting on his bad side would only lead to one thing: death.

"**What do I want? I want what's rightfully mine. I came here tonight to collect three souls. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived and there were only two waiting for me. **_**Someone**_ **has cheated me."**

"It was the child- Lance Potter. He's the one who was supposed to die." Despite the pain he felt, Voldemort smiled to himself. Perhaps he could convince Thanatos to kill the boy for him.

"**I see…" **Thanatos trailed off, apparently deep in thought. "**But I cannot take his soul- at least not right now. The protection from his mother is too strong. Someone else must go in his place."**

"The other Potter, then." Voldemort suggested immediately. This conversation had taken a deadly turn. Thanatos needed to be persuaded to take Harry Potter and quickly. The longer Thanatos lingered, the more dangerous it became for himself.

"**Harry Potter? But he's perfectly healthy…" **Thanatos argued. ** "Well, aside from the imperious curse you have on him, that is. And healthy people don't just drop dead for without reason, Riddle. You on the other hand…"**

"There's nothing wrong with me, Thanatos."

**"Is that so? Then why are you under so much pain? Hmmm?"**

"There has to be a reasonable explanation-"

**"Oh there is." **Thanatos murmured quietly. "**You're dying, Tom Marvolo Riddle. That defective Avada Kedavra you used is killing from within even as we speak."**

"That's impossible."

"**Ah, perhaps an explanation, then?"**

Lord Voldemort opened his mouth to reply, but was forced to clamp it shut again when a series of convulsions overpowered him. His body seemed to have a mind of its own. He couldn't control the spasms that coursed through him. His back arched suddenly during a particularly violent convulsion and he cursed mentally. It was all he could do to keep his face composed in front of Thanatos.

"**Yes, well, since you seem to be rather -ehm- **_**indisposed**_** at the moment, I'll try to keep this as simple as possible." **Thanatos told the still twitching Dark Lord that lay before him. "**As you already know, the Avada Kedavra you sent at Lance Potter was deflected by his mother's magic. What you probably don't know is that the Avada Kedavra didn't disappear once Lance had blocked it. You see, the killing curse is unlike any other spell known to wizards. There's too much raw power for it to be banished away. It can't simply evaporate- something, or rather,**_** someone**_** has to absorb its energy. And when you shot Lance Potter at point blank range… well I suppose you can guess who absorbed all that magic. Yes, you were unknowingly hit by the rebound energy only moments after you cast the spell. But unlike the actual killing curse, you were not killed immediately. Instead, the magic started constricting around your own magical core, slowly squeezing the life out of you."**

The longer Thanatos talked, the paler Voldemort's face became. Using the last of his energy, the Dark Lord forced himself to speak.

"No… no… NO! I am_ not_ dying! I am the most powerful wizard to ever walk the earth. Nothing can defeat me! And no worthless brat is going to be the end of me! I. AM. IMMORTAL!"

"**I'm afraid there's no other way. You're too far gone to be saved. But don't worry. It will all be over soon."**

Voldemort cried out as the agony he was feeling increased tenfold. He was being burned alive, he was sure of it. There was nothing left anymore, save the pain and despair. His screams were cut short when he fell into a fit of coughing. And with the coughing came the blood. So much blood. It was everywhere. His hands were dripping with it. All he wanted was for it to end.

And it did.

With one final wail, Tom Riddle collapsed on the floor in an ungraceful heap.

"**No one lives forever." **Thanatos whispered softly. "**Not even you. Someone had to take his place. I **_**always**_** get what's rightfully mine."**

* * *

**A/n:** And there you go! The Prologue of Serpents and Ice is now officially up. Make sure to drop a review telling me what you thought. Did I do Lily and James justice? I feel like most stories skip their part in the story and go straight to Voldemort attacking Harry. And what about Thanatos, hmm? I rather like him but that might be because I made him. ;) I know this chapter was a bit dark, but it's almost impossible to make a chapter where three people die a happy event. But don't be discouraged, the rest of the story won't be quite as depressing.

Also, in case you didn't catch it in the prologue: Harry was three when Voldemort killed his parents and Lance was one, thus a two year age difference between the brothers.

Hope you enjoyed,

U.W.


	2. A beginning

Ten years later…

Privet Drive, Surrey. What a remarkably unremarkable place. Its cookie cutter houses had somehow managed to look exactly the same- regardless of their size or shape. Pristine lawns, crystal clear windows, and shiny new cars were displayed at every residence- an unofficial sign of their need to conform to society, a badge of their normality.

Never before had there been such a mundane group of people

Never before had there been such a gathering of the unimaginative

Never before had there been a place more devoid of wonder and magic

That is, until the Potter boys came and ruined everything.

"Harry… "

"Go away Lance." The boy in question mumbled groggily.

"Harry… "

"Five more minutes" Harry moaned, his voice muffled by a pillow.

"HARRRRRRRRRRRY!"

The loud screech startled him so badly Harry landed on the floor with a dull 'thud, thoroughly shattering what scrap of peacefulness he'd had left from his night's sleep.

"Ughhhh…" He grumbled while rubbing his head and sending a glare in his brother's direction. "Okay! I'm up! Happy now?"

"Yes." Lance replied before giving Harry a smirk.

"Cheeky little brat…" Harry muttered darkly as he fumbled for his glasses. Unfortunately, said glasses seemed to be eluding him at the moment. "Argghh…. Lance, have you seen my glasses anywhere?"

"Hmmmm… What do they look like?" Lance asked in mock ignorance before cracking a grin.

"Knock it off. You know what they look like…" Harry paused, finally realizing what had happened. "Wait, YOU took them didn't you?"

"Me?" Lance tried his best to look affronted but Harry wasn't buying it.

"HaHa. Very funny Lance," He deadpanned. "Now give them back already. You know I can't see anything without them."

"Well, maybe I did find a pair of glasses last night." Lance admitted. "But how do I know they're yours? We can't have you stealing other people's glasses, now can we?"

"Uhhhm, Lance, I'm the only person who wears glasses in this house. Of course they're mine!"

"A valid point," the younger potter agreed before taking a pair of glasses out of his pocket.

Harry immediately lunged for them, but they were pulled out of his reach at the last second.

"Now wait a minute." Lance said whilst trying to keep the glasses out of his brother's clutches. "I think finding something as valuable as these deserves a reward. Don't you agree?"

"Just give me the stupid glasses already!" Harry cried out, exasperated. This game was getting old. Besides, he didn't like how helpless he felt without them.

"How about we trade?" Lance asked after a moment, a sly smile playing across his mouth.

"Trade?" Harry stated incredulously. "Is that a joke?"

"I don't joke, Harry. You of all people should know that." Lance taunted as he twirled the glasses around his fingers idly.

"What do you want?" Harry asked his frustration showing through his curt response.

"You sound angry Harry. Are you alright?" Lance's voice was once again filled with fake innocence, the kind that oozed of insincerity and false concern. It took all of Harry's self-control not to punch him in the face right then and there.

"Just spit it out already. I'm done playing games with you. Besides, I need to go make breakfast soon." Harry snapped angrily.

"Calm down, Harry. Sheesh." Lance said, seemingly unaffected by his brother's building temper. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed…." At this, Lance clapped his hands together and grinned. "Actually that gives me an idea. I do rather like your bed by the window. What if I were to *ahem* take it off your hands? You could have my bed instead along with these." At this, Lance waved Harry's glasses in his face.

"Fine." Harry consented, if somewhat begrudgingly.

"Fantastic" Lance said before throwing his brother's glasses in his direction. "Now let's go down stairs and eat. I'm starving."

Harry gave a grunt as his picked his glasses up from floor and inspected them closely. He was lucky they hadn't broken when Lance had tossed them. Having the Dursleys' wrath upon him so early in the morning did not sound appealing.

"All right, let's go."

Both boys immediately barreled towards kitchen. Harry, who managed to get there first, quickly began getting out the essentials for breakfast: eggs, toast, oatmeal, and bacon- lots and lots of bacon. Even though Number Four Privet Drive had only five occupants, Harry had to make enough food for ten. His cousin, Dudley Dursley, probably ate enough in one day to feed a small army. And quite frankly Harry was surprised he hadn't died of a heart attack yet. But he supposed that his cousin couldn't really help himself. Disgusting gluttony seemed to run in the family. Uncle Vernon also ate a considerable portion of food at each meal. Not quite as much as Dudley, but a formidable amount nonetheless. The only ones that appeared to be free of the curse were himself, Lance and Aunt Petunia. Then again, Harry and Lance had never really been given the opportunity to stuff their faces. His Aunt Petunia had made sure of that…

At the thought of his aunt, Harry gave a shudder. She hadn't exactly welcomed the Potters into her home with open arms. It had started out as more of a cold fury, a silent rage. Ah, if only it had lasted. Harry could handle steely ignorance any day. But things got progressively worse the longer he and Lance stayed. At first it was verbal abuse. Derogatory nick names and the like. Not that they meant much to either of the boys. The insults had fallen on deaf ears. That is, until the incident- the one that had really sent Aunt Petunia over the edge, the one that had forced the entire household into a pit of never-ending hatred. …

_~~~Flash back~~~_

_ "FREAAAAAAAAAK!" _

_The shrill wail sliced through the air and Harry winced. How he hated his aunt's voice. It had to be one of the most aggravating noises on the entire planet. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard. _

_ "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Harry snapped before running a hand through his hair. She sounded like she was in one of her 'let's make Harry's life miserable' moods again. He sighed. It was best to get it over with as soon as possible. Waiting only ever made things worse. And with that ever so encouraging thought, Harry got up and headed towards the source of his aunt's shriek. _

_ "BRING YOUR SORRY EXCUSE FOR A BROTHER WITH YOU!" She added once Harry was already half way down the stairs._

_ Harry groaned. She just had to wait until he was already on his way there, didn't she? Feeling too lazy to go all the way back up the stairs- Harry opted to shout for his brother instead._

"_LANCE! GET DOWN HERE. AUNT PETUNIA WANTS TO TALK WITH US." He bellowed loudly, which in hindsight, might not have been the best idea. Only seconds after Harry had finished yelling, his Aunt Petunia was at the foot of the stairs seething._

"_There will be NO shouting in this household. Do you understand me, you little freak?" She hissed, her eyes glinting dangerously._

"_Yes, ma'm." Harry answered sarcastically before giving a mock salute._

"_Wipe that smirk off your face right now." His aunt snarled, a newfound fury seeping into her words. "I've about had it with you and your brother's disrespect. If both of you aren't in the dining room in two minutes, there will be hell to pay."_

_Harry nodded, his earlier sense of defiance completely gone. Something had gotten Aunt Petunia's panties in a knot. The question was what. He tried to think what he'd done wrong, but nothing really came to mind. There had been the rose bush incident last month, but she was over that already…Maybe it was something Lance had done?_

_ "We better go see what she wants, Lance." Harry called up the stairs, this time making sure to be much quieter._

_ A slam of the door and the creak of the floorboards told Harry that his brother had heard and was on his way. In fact, Lance appeared at the top of the stair only moments later._

_ "What does she want now?" He complained once he'd caught up with his older brother. "We've already done all her stupid chores."_

"_I don't know." Harry admitted. "But we'd better go anyways. She sounds pretty angry."_

"_When does she not sound mad?" Lance sighed but followed Harry into the dining room nonetheless._

_Deep down, Harry was glad that his brother was facing his aunt with him. It was selfish, yes, but she never seemed quite as fierce when it was two against one. But even Lance's presence didn't help lighten the mood as they entered the room in silence. Just seeing his Aunt Petunia's venomous expression was enough to make him want to run back up stairs. Sure, he'd seen her angry before, but this… this appeared to be a whole new level of loathing altogether. What on Earth had Lance done to cause it?_

"_Sit down." Aunt Petunia snapped and both boys immediately complied. "Now, do either of you know why you're here?"_

_Harry fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, but managed not to say anything that could condemn them both._

"_Surely you must have some sort of idea." She paused for a moment before continuing. "No? Tell me: does a project by the name of 'My Family Tree' ring a bell?"_

_At this, Harry became very still. What did the picture he made in school last week have to do with anything? The assignment had been to draw everyone in your family and write a couple sentences for each of them-a rather harmless project in his opinion. How could Aunt Petunia possibly be angry about that of all things?_

"_Well?" She looked at Harry expectantly. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"_

'_How about I hate you, you cold hearted reptile.' Harry thought to himself and grinned. What he wouldn't give to speak his mind. He'd show her… He'd show all of the Dursleys- you don't mess with a Potter. Harry had had just about enough of being treated like their dog. One day… one day he'd make them pay. He'd make them regret everything they'd ever done to him. He'd make them wish they were never born._

_Harry was so wrapped up in his twisted fantasy that he forgot all about his aunt and the trouble he was supposedly in. His lack of response along with his newly acquired smile did not bode well with Petunia. Not. At. All._

"_What did I tell you before about being disrespectful?" She shouted, the rage in her voice very clear._

"_Sorry, Aunt Petunia." Harry spat back, not sounding the least bit apologetic._

_ However, his insincerity seemed to be lost on her and she continued her rant from earlier. "Alright. Now as I was saying: what do you have to say about this-this-this monstrosity!" _

_ Harry and Lance exchanged a look of disbelief. Were they even talking about the same thing here? A family tree was in no way, shape, or form, a cause for such hysteria. Either their beloved auntie had gone completely off her rocker or there was something else, something much more serious, going on here._

_ "I-I mean- we, don't understand what you mean Aunt Petunia." Lance stated carefully, trying not to send her into another fit of anger._

_ "Oh you don't?" Aunt Petunia said, her voice suddenly getting softer and more dangerous as she spoke. "I guess you think this is no big deal?"_

_ Petunia slammed Harry's schoolwork down on the table. The two boys quickly picked it up and examined its contents- searching for incriminating evidence. But despite their thorough search, they were unable to discover what portion of the project had upset their aunt._

_ However, Petunia mistook their puzzled expressions for those of fear and let out a shrill- if somewhat crazed- laugh._

_ "Now you see it, don't you? You can't even begin to realize how much trouble this has caused me. Did you know that your teacher suggested I send you to a therapist? As if your presence wasn't enough of a burden already. You just had to go and stain our family's reputation, didn't you? What will the neighbors say? 'Look, there's the Dursleys with their mentally disturbed freak of a nephew!' I'll never be able to show my face at Bunco again."_

_ "I don't understand what's wrong…" Lance mumbled under his breath. "It's just a homework assignment." Harry glared at Lance in an attempt to shut him up, but it was too late. Aunt Petunia was sent into hysterics once more._

_ "Just a home work assignment? JUST A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT?" Petunia's voice was getting progressively more crazed as she spoke. "How about you read what he wrote about your parents, hmmm?"_

_ Sighing, Lance picked up the 'monstrosity' (as his aunt had so eloquently put it) and began to examine it more closely._

_ "Let's see…" Lance said as he held the paper up to his face. "Lily Evans Potter. 1960-1984. She married my dad (James Potter) in 1979. My mum loved to cook and play piano. Both she and my dad were brutally murdered by a dark wizard when I was three years old..."_

_ Lance trailed off awkwardly and put the paper back down on the table. For a moment the entire room was silent._

_ If only it had lasted._

_ "Well?" Aunt Petunia said, breaking the quiet with her nasally voice. "What do you have to say for yourself? Spreading all this nonsense around your school…"_

_ Upon hearing these words both Harry and Lance stiffened._

_ "Nonsense?" Harry inquired coldly whilst attempting to keep his temper intact. _

_Unfortunately his brother seemed to be having even more difficulty with this than himself. Already, Lance's eyes had a dangerous glint in them. It was absolutely critical that Harry remain as calm as possible if he was to prevent this from becoming a full-blown argument._

_But luck did not appear to be on Harry's side as his Aunt Petunia felt the need to respond to his question in the most tactless way possible._

"_I don't know what else you would call it," She replied haughtily, "going around telling stories about dark wizards of all things. What did I tell you about keeping your freakiness to yourselves?"_

"_How DARE you!" Lance shouted whilst jumping up from his seat. Immediately Harry was at his side, keeping him from leaping across the table to get to their aunt._

"_Lance," Harry whispered carefully, "don't lose your head. You don't want you to do something you'll regret later."_

"_No." Lance said quietly but then continued with more volume and determination. "NO. I will not sit here and take this! It's one thing when she's insulting us, but this is our parents' death that she's demeaning. I won't let her get away with this!" Lance made a sudden lunge towards Aunt Petunia, almost breaking free of Harry's firm grasp._

"_Keep that-that FREAK away from me!" Petunia cried out as she ran to the opposite corner of the room. "I never should have taken you two in. You're a disgrace to this family. You and your 'abnormalties' - it's unnatural is what it is! I should have known it would be this way, with my sister being the way she was- always so peculiar, so strange, so freakish."_

_Harry suddenly dropped his grip on Lance and pushed him towards the door. "Leave." He told his brother while he shoved him farther away from their aunt._

"_Are you kidding me?" Lance shouted angrily. "Didn't you hear what she just said? What she just said about mum?"_

"_I said leave." Harry told Lance sternly. "I need to talk to Aunt Petunia. Alone. And don't listen in by the door unless you want me to lock you out of our room tonight."_

"_But-"_

"_Leave." Harry said sharply._

_Looking both disappointed and angry Lance stopped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him; leaving Harry and Aunt Petunia alone in the dining room._

_Originally Harry had hoped to keep the after math of this quarrel to a minimum. But Lance had been right. Petunia had taken it too far this time and it was just about time someone put her back in her place._

"_In what way," Harry drawled out while maintaining a calm exterior, "can my parent's murder be considered nonsense?" Without waiting for a response Harry continued. "I saw her die. Right before my eyes. How dare you imply her sacrifice was anything short of heroic."_

"_Now you see here…" Aunt Petunia stuttered weakly._

"_No." Harry told her flatly. "Now you listen to me and you listen closely Aunt Petunia. Next time you feel like belittling my parents you might want to think twice. That is unless you want to join the club... How does that sound to you, Auntie? We can kill your family and you can tell me if it still feels like nonsense."_

_Harry gave a small yet dangerous grin in his Aunt's direction._

"_You-you can't threaten me like that!" She squealed. At the thought of her family in danger it appeared she had regained her courage. _

"_I think I can say whatever I like." Harry replied, seemingly unaffected by his Aunt's new sense of authority. It wasn't like he'd really meant what he said. He wasn't a cold hearted murderer after all. But it wouldn't hurt if Petunia believed him to be such. He was tired of her bossing him around all the time. "However, I think it would be best for both of us if we kept our little conversation a secret. Wouldn't want to upset the others and all that nonsense." _

_Harry had to suppress a grin at seeing his Aunt's face pale considerably. She had taken his last statement as yet another threat. Which, honestly, was fine with him. He hadn't really meant anything by it, other than with the intention of keeping her quiet. After all, he wasn't keen on the idea of her running to Uncle Vernon about this. There was no way that could end well for Harry. No way at all._

"_Well, this was a nice chat." Harry said casually as he yawned. "But I think I'm going to go take a nap."_

_And with that, he left his flabbergasted aunt to her own thoughts._

_~~~End flash back~~~_

Harry shook his head as he pulled himself out of his memories. It was true- things had never been the same since then. If Aunt Petunia hadn't loathed them before, she most certainly did now. She made no attempt to disguise her contempt for them in the following year. But despite her new found hatred for her nephews, Petunia refused to discuss it with her husband.

'At least something got through to that thick skull of hers.' Harry mused to himself whilst plating the last of the eggs.

"How's the coffee coming along, Lance?" Harry asked aloud as he began setting the table.

"Almost ready." Lance replied as he poured two cups and set them on the kitchen table as well.

"Excellent," Harry grinned as he put the finishing touches on the breakfast and turned towards his brother. "We can get out of here before the whale comes down."

Lance snorted at the mention of their cousin Dudley. He was a rather sorry excuse for a boy in his opinion- dumb as a rock, but obnoxious as hell. Luckily, Harry kept him from bothering either of them too much. Dudley was absolutely terrified of Harry (a fact that never ceased to amuse Lance). But regardless, it would still be best to be gone before he came down. The degree to which his parents spoiled him was disgusting.

"Catch."

Lance looked up just in time to see a granola bar hit him square in the face.

"You could've given me more of a warning before you pelted me with food." Lance complained sourly.

"Don't try and kid yourself Lance," Harry said cheekily, "we both know you wouldn't have caught it either way. You're about as coordinated as a blind chicken."

"A blind chicken…?" Lance asked dubiously.

"It was the first thing that came to mind." Harry shrugged noncommittally. "Now let's get out of here."

And with that, the Potter brothers headed towards the neighborhood park, careful not to awake the Dursleys as they left.

* * *

"So," Harry said as he rocked back and forth on a swing, "tomorrow's your birthday."

"Really? I had no idea." Lance remarked. "Nothing gets past you, Captain Obvious."

"Prat." Harry said before giving his brother a small shove. "Maybe I shouldn't get you a present after all."

At this Lance immediately became serious. "I thought we had an agreement about no gifts?"

"Well," Harry said awkwardly as he ran his hand through his hair, "I figured maybe it was time for a change. With my job at the café and all, I finally have some money of my own. I thought- well I thought it'd be nice to get you something for once."

"But I thought you had to give all the money to Aunt Petunia?" Lance asked.

This was true, Harry thought to himself. The whole point of him getting a job had been- as his aunt had so nicely put it- 'to help make him less of a burden'. All the money he made at his job was supposed to go directly to Aunt Petunia. But Harry found that what he was supposed to do and what he chose to do were often two very different things.

"She let me keep some of it just for the occasion." He lied smoothly.

In truth, he'd been keeping a portion of his pay check for himself ever since his aunt had first made him get the job. Slowly, he'd been creating a small stash of money which he stored beneath the floor boards. Just in case things with the Dursleys went sour. (Which, considering everything, was very possible). But he'd been dying to get Lance something for his birthday ever since he could remember. Harry wanted to show him that at least someone cared. So this year things were going to be different. He was going to take a portion of the money and buy Lance the best gift an eleven year old could ever ask for.

"Really?" Lance asked hopefully, looking every bit as excited as Harry thought he'd be. "What are you going to get me?"

"Now that would be telling." Harry chided. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

The look of anticipation on Lance's face was almost comical and Harry had to resist the urge to laugh at his brother's excitement.

"How about a hint? That's not _technically_ telling." Lance tried to persuade him, but Harry wasn't going to budge.

"No way, kid. You're going to have to wait for your birthday."

"Fine." Lance huffed.

Harry only smiled in response before checking his watch. "Its 8:00, I've got to go to work soon. Are you tagging along or heading back to the house?"

"I think I'm going to go back. I need to catch up on my beauty sleep. Being this adorable takes effort." Lance joked before getting up from his swing. "I'll see you when you get home."

"See you later." Harry agreed before heading in the opposite direction.

Café Lola was only a couple blocks away so Harry walked most of the time. The café itself was nice enough, the owner, Lola, being a cheerful woman. But the work was dull and Harry resented having to work five days a week. Technically, he was too young to be working at all, but Aunt Petunia had somehow managed to convince Lola that he was 16. So here he was, working mornings on weekends and afternoons Monday through Wednesday. The only brightside was the free lunch (which was much better than anything the Dursleys had to offer) and the slow trickle of money he was earning.

"Morning Lola," He greeted as he entered the premises. "Where should I get started?"

* * *

Lance watched Harry disappear around the corner before turning towards the house. The thought of relaxing at Café Lola had been tempting, but Lance feared he'd be recruited to help out,_ again_. And as selfish as it may sound, Lance didn't feel like helping right now. All he really felt like doing was going back to sleep. Not getting enough sleep always made him grouchy later on. So really, it was best for everyone if he got some rest before facing the Dursleys.

Opening the front door as quietly as he could, Lance snuck back into the house. If he could just make it to his room without alerting the Dursleys he might be able to get a few more hours of rest. But luck seemed to be against Lance and he never made it to his room. In fact, he hadn't managed three steps before his aunt appeared from the kitchen, a cross look on her face.

"And just _where_ have you been?" She snapped angrily, an expectant note in her voice.

Lance sighed. She was in one of her moods again. There was no way he was going to get any sleep now. Putting up the most innocent voice he could muster, he answered Petunia "Just took a walk to the park, that's all."

"Don't lie to me." his aunt growled. "You were _there_, weren't you?"

"What…?" Lance asked unaffected by his aunt's fury. He was too busy trying to figure out what she meant.

"You think you're so clever don't you? You actually thought that you could meet up with _them_ without me noticing. Well you were wrong. If you thought I was going to let you go, you're sadly mistaken." Aunt Petunia shouted, sounding very much like a screeching banshee.

Lance just looked at her for a moment. What on earth was she going on about? He wasn't going anywhere. Well, not that he knew at least. Though the idea of leaving had always appealed to him, there was simply nowhere else to go.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He told her in hope of receiving some clarification.

Unfortunately, this seemed to only anger Aunt Petunia even more as her eyes narrowed into little slits.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Did you really expect me to believe the letter arriving and you disappearing in the same morning was a coincidence?"

Letter? Lance was beyond confused now. Maybe it was child protective services coming to take him away? Lance doubted it. The Dursleys were unpleasant but they weren't _that_ bad. What else could it be?

"From here on out you're not to leave my sight, much less this house. I won't have you sneaking off to that- that- _place_ and bringing back more of your freakish ways." Aunt Petunia told him sternly.

"This is ridiculous! I don't even know what you're going on about! You're crazy- there's no way you're going to keep me a prisoner in my own home." Lance ranted loudly. Standing up to Aunt Petunia was absolutely…_liberating_. Was this how Harry had felt during the 'incident'? Despite the dangers, Lance felt the need to continue. "I'll go where ever I please. And there's no chance in hell that I'm going to let _you_ of all people stop me! I've had enough of being treated like complete shit for no reason whatsoever!"

Finished with his rant and out of breath, Lance looked up to see his aunt's flustered face. Her horse-like features had taken on a bright red tint and for a moment he was certain she was going to explode with anger.

"If you go," His aunt spat venomously, "You are NEVER allowed back. That goes for your psychopathic brother too. I don't care what that fool Dumbledore says. I've spent ten years enduring your presence. Going off to that _place_ is the last straw. I won't stand for it. I refuse to allow that sort of mischief around my Dudders."

"What are we even talking about?" Lance demanded, his voice getting progressively louder in his frustration.

"_This_," Aunt Petunia seethed as she shoved a crumpled paper into his arms, "is what I'm talking about!"

Confused, Lance looked down at the parchment in his hands. It seemed a little worse for wear, but at least it was still in one piece. Careful not to damage it further, Lance slowly unfolded it and began to read its contents. Hopefully, it would explain his aunt's bizarre behavior.

_Mr. Lance Charles Potter_

_Smallest Bedroom_

_Number Four Privet Drive, Surrey_

_ We are proud to announce that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Class begins September 1__st__. A teacher will come beforehand to help you buy all the necessary supplies for the school year (should you choose to accept this invitation). Please respond as soon as possible via owl._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Minerva McGonagall_

_ Transfiguration Professor_

Well, this was a bit of a surprise.

* * *

**A/N: well, its been a shamefully long time since I've updated and I wouldn't be surprised if most people have forgotten this story. Those that haven't probably dont recognize it since it's been completely rewritten. My only excuse is my extreme perfectionism. In my opinion, my previous chapters simply weren't meeting my standards. Hopefully, you'll find these rewrites much more acceptable. If you find any faults in my story please let me know so I can fix it. (however, calling it complete rubbish beyond repair is not particularly helpful, so try to be constructive in your criticism). reviews, as always, are welcome. Expect an update within the month.**

**Sincerely,**

**U.W.**


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